Image forming apparatus with an openable section at an upper face side or a front face side

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming apparatus body, a photosensitive member, an intermediate transfer belt, and a developing device placed on a side opposite to the intermediate transfer belt across the photosensitive member and provided with a detachable toner cartridge. The intermediate transfer belt is disposed such that a distance between ends in a height direction is longer than a distance between ends in an anteroposterior direction. At least a part of the photosensitive member is placed between the anteroposterior ends of the intermediate transfer belt. The image forming apparatus body includes an openable section at an upper face side or a front face side thereof to allow the toner cartridge to be attached and detached therethrough and to allow a jam to be fixed therethrough.

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 an image forming apparatus body; 
 a photosensitive member disposed in the image forming apparatus body; 
 an intermediate transfer belt disposed in the image forming apparatus body, the intermediate transfer belt onto which a toner image on the photosensitive member is to be transferred; and 
 a developing device disposed in the image forming apparatus body, the developing device placed on a side opposite to the intermediate transfer belt across the photosensitive member and provided with a detachable toner cartridge; 
 wherein the intermediate transfer belt is disposed such that a distance between ends in a height direction of the image forming apparatus body is longer than a distance between ends in an anteroposterior direction of the image forming apparatus body; 
 at least a part of the photosensitive member is placed between the anteroposterior ends of the intermediate transfer belt; and 
 the image forming apparatus body includes at least one openable section at an upper face side or a front face side thereof to allow the toner cartridge to be attached and detached therethrough and to allow a jam to be fixed therethrough, 
 wherein the at least one openable section includes first, second, and third lids, 
 wherein the first lid has a first rotation axis, about which the first lid rotates, provided on the front face side of the image forming apparatus body, 
 wherein a fixing device is attached to the first lid such that the fixing device is integrally moved with the first lid when the first lid is opened and closed, 
 wherein the second lid has a second rotation axis, about which the second lid rotates, provided on the upper face side of the image forming apparatus body, 
 wherein the third lid has a third rotation axis, about which the third lid rotates, provided on the upper face side of the image forming apparatus body, 
 wherein the third rotation axis is provided further away from the front surface side of the image forming apparatus body than the second rotation axis, and 
 wherein the toner cartridge is attachable and detachable through an opening created when the third lid is open. 
 
   
   
     2. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a registration roller disposed in the image forming apparatus body, for transporting a recording medium at a predetermined timing;
 wherein at least a part of the registration roller is placed between the anteroposterior ends of the intermediate transfer belt. 
 
   
   
     3. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising a secondary transfer roller disposed in the image forming apparatus body, for transferring a toner image on the intermediate transfer belt onto the recording medium;
 wherein the registration roller is placed between a lowermost end of the intermediate transfer belt and the secondary transfer roll. 
 
   
   
     4. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the at least one openable section includes first, second, and third lids; 
 the jam is fixable when the first lid opens; 
 an image forming unit including the photosensitive member is attachable and detachable when the first and second lids open; and 
 the toner cartridge is attachable and detachable when the third lid opens. 
 
   
   
     5. A method of attaching or detaching a toner cartridge comprising:
 providing an image forming apparatus, wherein the image forming apparatus comprises:
 an image forming apparatus body; 
 a photosensitive member disposed in the image forming apparatus body; 
 an intermediate transfer belt onto which a toner image on the photosensitive member is to be transferred, wherein the intermediate transfer belt is disposed in the image forming apparatus body; 
 a developing device disposed in the image forming apparatus body, wherein the developing device and the intermediate transfer belt are placed on opposite sides of the photosensitive member, and wherein the developing device is provided with a detachable toner cartridge; and 
 a lid provided which has a rotation axis, about which the lid rotates, provided on an upper face side of the image forming apparatus body; 
 
 opening the lid; and 
 attaching or detaching the detachable toner cartridge to the developing device through an opening created when the lid is opened, 
 wherein the intermediate transfer belt is maintained in a printing position in which it transfers an image onto a medium when the detachable toner cartridge is attached or detached. 
 
   
   
     6. The method for attaching or detaching a toner cartridge according to  claim 5 , wherein the developing device is a rotary developing device in which a plurality of detachable toner cartridges rotate about an axis, the method further comprising:
 rotating the rotary developing device such that the detachable toner cartridge which is to be detached is positioned at an upper portion of the rotary developing device; and 
 detaching the detachable toner cartridge while it is positioned at the upper portion of the rotary developing device. 
 
   
   
     7. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 an image forming apparatus body; 
 a photosensitive member disposed in the image forming apparatus body; 
 an intermediate transfer belt disposed in the image forming apparatus body, the intermediate transfer belt onto which a toner image on the photosensitive member is to be transferred; and 
 a developing device disposed in the image forming apparatus body, the developing device placed on a side opposite to the intermediate transfer belt across the photosensitive member and provided with a detachable toner cartridge; 
 wherein the intermediate transfer belt is disposed such that a distance between ends in a height direction of the image forming apparatus body is longer than a distance between ends in an anteroposterior direction of the image forming apparatus body; 
 at least a part of the photosensitive member is placed between the anteroposterior ends of the intermediate transfer belt; and 
 the image forming apparatus body includes at least one openable section at an upper face side or a front face side thereof to allow the toner cartridge to be attached and detached therethrough and to allow a jam to be fixed therethrough; 
 wherein the at least one openable section includes a lid that has a rotation axis, about which the lid rotates, provided at the upper face side of the image forming apparatus body, and 
 wherein the detachable toner cartridge is attached or detached through an opening created when the lid is opened even when the intermediate transfer belt is maintained at a printing position in which it transfers an image onto a medium. 
 
   
   
     8. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the developing device is a rotary developing device in which a plurality of detachable toner cartridges rotate about an axis, and 
 wherein nothing is provided between the opening and at least one of the detachable toner cartridges provided with the rotary developing device so that the at least one of the toner cartridges is able to be attached and detached through the opening. 
 
   
   
     9. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 an image forming apparatus body; 
 a photosensitive member disposed in the image forming apparatus body; 
 an intermediate transfer belt disposed in the image forming apparatus body, the intermediate transfer belt onto which a toner image on the photosensitive member is to be transferred; and 
 a developing device disposed in the image forming apparatus body, the developing device placed on a side opposite to the intermediate transfer belt across the photosensitive member and provided with a detachable toner cartridge; 
 wherein the intermediate transfer belt is disposed such that a distance between ends in a height direction of the image forming apparatus body is longer than a distance between ends in an anteroposterior direction of the image forming apparatus body; 
 at least a part of the photosensitive member is placed between the anteroposterior ends of the intermediate transfer belt; and 
 the image forming apparatus body includes at least one openable section at an upper face side or a front face side thereof to allow the toner cartridge to be attached and detached therethrough and to allow a jam to be fixed therethrough, wherein the at least one openable section includes first, second, and third lids; 
 the jam is fixable when the first lid opens; 
 an image forming unit including the photosensitive member is attachable and detachable when the first and second lids open; and 
 the toner cartridge is attachable and detachable when the third lid opens.